42 The Great Game

Mark sat at his chair with a haggard face as he regretted coming closer to the dwarf. And his enhanced senses did not help at all too, this made him realize that he must acclimate to his situation first before he uses that enhancement serum. Maybe he could also study it before using it, he now has a super genius alien anyways.

"I apologize for that lad haha. I was just curious how it tasted that's all, this stink would be gone a few days anyways." Durfin said as he laughed, they might hate humans but they felt that this young lord was not like the other nobles they met. He did not show any arrogance or anything and even was straightforward towards them.

"And in those days don't ever come near the town lord Durfin." The Old white bearded Dwarf said as he walked forward to bow a little and greet Mark.

"My names Borten and this young one over is Gimbult. As you have heard the lump of a skunk over there is Durfin, we are traveling blacksmiths from the Grey Mountains and we seek to open a shop in your town." Borten introduced them as he felt ashamed to let their group leader handle the talking.

"It is a great honor for me to be able to host this Dawi friends. And to even meet someone with such admirable grey Beard." Mark smiled as he felt the beard of Borten looked well groomed.

"Hoohoo I take care of it myself properly. Glad to know the town lord has good taste in beard fashion." Borten smiled from ear to ear as he heard the praise. Mark felt he was going in the right direction, as adept he is right now in the forge he was sure he still has something to learn from the dwarves so he is pulling all the stops to gain their trust.

"How rude of me, let's talk this over a drink shall we? Hans get five glasses in the kitchen will you." Mark smiled as he went to a side of the office where a cabinet was hidden full of various alcohol Mark bought from the shop. Durfin's eyes glowed as well as the other two who now has a look of approval.

"Now this is a type of negotiation I like!" Durfin said as he saw Mark take out three large bottles made from clear crystal.

"Are we drinking water?" Asked Gimbult as he had never seen a drink clear as water before but he knew as well as the others that it might be expensive seeing they used such clear crystal as the bottles for the drink.

"My dear friend this is a drink I have gathered over the years I was traveling, this is one of the most finest Spirits ever to be found in the Kingdoms of Kislev." Mark bullshitted as he took out were three handles of Spyritus vodka, a 96% alcohol volume which is mostly just used to add to cocktails to give it a kick. But Mark was sure he could survive as well as the dwarves with their hardy bodies.

"Oohhh, now I'm looking forward to this kind of drink." Durfin looked eager but changed to confusion as he saw Hans coming back with five regular glasses from the kitchen.

"Don't ya have mugs in here lad? How can you drink from these small cups." Short the dwarves may be but their hands and fingers are larger than a humans. So a regular glass looked like a bigger shot glass in their hands.

"Now don't be quick to judge, there is a reason this drink is called a spirit." Mark smiled as he opened one bottle which made a unique scent waft out in the air. The three dwarves' eyes shone as they could smell something different about this drink. Mark poured four glasses full and the last one half only as he gave it to Hans.

"Just take small sips or else you might not be able to walk straight later." Mark whispered to Hans as he handed out the glass.

"Why aren't you giving him anything at all?" Gimbult was curious but Mark just smiled and replied.

"He's on duty so I can't let him get too intoxicated. That was just to warm him up, well let's start our talk shall we." Mark handed out the glasses which made the dwarves feel something different from this crystal glass.

"This isn't crystal isn't it?" Durfin said as he looked at the glass intently but he still took a few sniffs on the alcohol.

"No it is not." Mark smiled as he knew that Arabyan Glass is not this clear yet in this century. And they won't trade with the Brettonnians who had just successfully led a crusade in their lands. Mark let this thought into the back of his head as he raised his glass to drink so he could wash out that taste of bile in his throat. The dwarves relaxed as they saw Mark drink as well so they too took a shot of their glass.

"*Cough* Bloody hell w*cough*as that?!" Borten coughed as he felt the burning sensation in his chest. Gimbult and Durfin coughed along as they never drank something so strong before but thy tried to hide it as they saw Mark smiling from them. Their dwarven pride did not want them to lose in a drinking contest with a human.

"*Cough* Again!" Durfin stretched his glass as Mark refilled his own. Mark obliged and refilled the glasses of the three dwarves, soon a scene where one human and three dwarves are competing unfolds in Hans eyes as he felt the burning sensation in his throat. He looked at his glass and saw it was just halfway through yet he could feel getting a bit tipsy already.

"These guys are monsters." Hans said as he saw them chug down shot by shot of this strong spirit. They did not even talk about what they were supposed to discuss. But Hans was more amazed at their Town Lord holding himself out against these Dwarves in a drinking contest.

[Thirty Minutes Later]

"Ayye tink yewr ai dwurff *Hick* aye nevwer seen ai hewmon nawt dwonk wid awl dat mownt afv bewz befewr.*Hick*" (I think you're a drarf, I never see a human not drunk with all that amount of booze before) Borten slurred as he looked at Mark who was still smiling but just had a little hint of blush going on his neck and face.

"Hahaha, you praise me my friend. I have just had my shares of drinking that I have grown accustomed to the effects of alcohol." Mark laughed as he patted the shoulder of the Old Dwarf. The other two were also talking but the things coming out of their mouths were so incoherent that no one understood what they were saying.

"Yewr ai gud lad, Aye can shee dat yu mee*hick*an ush swell. Aye kin probubblee shpik for dem dat wee wuwnt tah shtay hew." Borten smiled as he took another shot and doze off. Mark look at the other two who were now asleep hugging each other as they mumbled something. Mark signaled for Hans who came closer.

"Hans give them a house nearby the workshop I made, have the hunter's family take a large empty house in compensation." Mark smiled as he stood up to go to the Backyard, as he had felt the eyes watching him now go somewhere else. Mark arrived there shortly greeted by a scared vampire, Mark remembered he left her in the backyard after he showed her Waybig.

"It seems you have seen the whole Backyard, now you see why I do not care nor fear you Grand Mistress. Now follow me, we have much to discuss." Mark went towards a small hall he had made near the entrances if the backyard which was also nearby the garage. Mark sat on the main seat at the table and gesture for Melissa to sit down too.

"As you have seen I have everything I need to do many great things, but that is not what I want." Mark went straight to what he wanted immediately. Melissa was still shocked deep inside when she saw a whole large island owned solely by this man in front of her. She saw the resources that come back as well as the fact that you could endlessly mine the ores in the land. Being raised as a noble she knew what having unlimited resources meant.

"It seems the beastmen have shown you what the island is capable of so I won't tarry any longer of my goal. Melissa have you heard of the 'Great Game'?" Mark showed a serious expression as he stared at Melissa. But he was also ogling her as he was appreciating how those pair in her chest still looked supple when Melissa was already registered as 65 years old by the system.

"The Great Game? I have not heard of it My lord." Melissa was confused as to where this conversation is going.

"The Great Game is the endless struggle of influence and dominance played by the Chaos Gods themselves. It is divided into three parts, one is in the realms of Chaos, two is in the Chaos Wastes and lastly is in the Realms of the civilized world. Your Queen might just see these worshippers as something trivial but deep inside they are more dangerous to the realm than she thinks.

Not everything is known by Neferata and her centuries of solitude has made her more obsessive in the revival of the once glorious Lahmia. So obsessed she did not see the indication of the influence of chaos making things well, chaotic." Mark stood up as he went to open a door on the side showing a large wooden table carved with precise detail. Melissa followed behind and saw the table and realized it was a large carving of the various continents.

"As you can see I have a map of the Old world, southlands, Ulthuan, Araby,Naggaroth, Albion, Norsca,Eastern Steppes, Southern and Northern Chaos wastes, The Worlds Edge Mountains, Mountains of Mourn, Ind, Kuresh, Nippon, Lustria and even Grand Cathay. This is the almost whole world as I have not yet information on Lumbria." Mark pointed out each places as he spoke with a long staff made from bamboo.

"This, this map is something Kingdoms would fight for!! Even the roads, the passages, cities and even rivers are seen in this!" Melissa was more shocked as she knew how hard it was to gather information about places even from the Eastern Steppes. Neferata might have something similar but not this detailed, she did not know Mark saw this in the shop so he bought it immediately.

"The Great Game is something the Chaos gods plays as they wanted to shape the world into the image that they want. That is why they entice mortals into betraying humanity because these Dark gods promise them rewards. *Scoff* Such foolish idiots thinking they could get some salvation from a being called a Dark God.

As your mistress interfere with the intrigues in courts of men, it has given chaos god cultists a chance to corrupt more officials as well commoners then instill anarchy within the ranks of civilized men. Though I understand she wants to see a home of hers rebuilt again but would it matter if the whole world is destroyed?" Mark said in a dire voice full of mockery.

"Destroyed?" Melissa looked confused but Mark did not answer her immediately.